ADULT LEARNING
The Adult Learning Theory - Andragogy
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Malcolm Shepherd Knowles (1913 – 1997) was an American educator well known for
the use of the term Andragogy as synonymous to adult education.
According to Malcolm Knowles, andragogy is the art and science of adult learning,
thus andragogy refers to any form of adult learning. (Kearsley, 2010).
The term andragogy can be supposedly equivalent to the term pedagogy.
Andragogy in Greek means man-leading
Pedagogy in Greek means child-leading.
The term pedagogy has been used since the Ancient Greek times
Alexander Kapp, a German educator, first used the term andragogy in 1833.
Knowles’ 5 Assumptions of Adult Learners
In 1980, Knowles made 4 assumptions about the characteristics of adult
learners (andragogy) that are different from the assumptions about child learners
(pedagogy). In 1984, Knowles added the 5th assumption.
1. Self-Concept
As a person matures his/her self-concept moves from one of being a dependent
personality toward one of being a self-directed human being.
2. Adult Learner Experience
As a person matures he/she accumulates a growing reservoir of experience that
becomes an increasing resource for learning.
3. Readiness to Learn
As a person matures his/her readiness to learn becomes oriented increasingly to
the developmental tasks of his/her social roles.
4. Orientation to Learning
As a person matures his/her time perspective changes from one of postponed
application of knowledge to immediacy of application. As a result, his/her
orientation toward learning shifts from one of subject- centeredness to one of
problem centeredness.
5. Motivation to Learn
As a person matures the motivation to learn is internal (Knowles 1984:12).
Knowles’ 4 Principles of Andragogy
In 1984, Knowles suggested 4 principles that are applied to adult learning:
1. Involved Adult Learners - Adults need to be involved in the planning and
evaluation of their instruction.
2. Adult Learners’ Experience - Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis
for the learning activities.
3. Relevance and Impact to Learners’ Lives - Adults are most interested in learning
subjects that have immediate relevance and impact to their job or personal life.
4. Problem–centered - Adult learning is problem-centered rather than contentoriented. (Kearsley, 2010)
ACTIVITY:
Compare Pedagogy to Andragogy based on Assumptions:
Assumptions
Need to know
Self-concept
Role of experience
Readiness to learn
Orientation to learning
Motivation
Pedagogy
Andragogy
DISTANCE LEARNING
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Is one of the instructional methods that is use in teaching
It uses a telecommunication approach by means of using video technology or
through live approach or taped messages from the instructor to the viewer
Becoming popular now as a common instructional technique used for academic
setting
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Distance learning, also known as correspondence education or home study, is a form
of education where there is little or no face-to-face interaction between students and
their instructors.
Distance learning students usually study from home, instead of attending physical
classes.
Study material is delivered to students via post, courier, email, or the internet.
Assessments are carried out by means of written assignments, exams, and/or
portfolios of evidence.
Academic support is provided to students through various channels, including
telephone, post, email, and instant messaging programs
Because of demographic structural changes and globalization, it is now necessary to make
education available for all and to motivate people to join wherein distance learning can help
for education to spread out.
Advantages
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Increased accessibility in learning and training opportunity
Increased opportunities for updating, retraining and personal enrichment
Cost effective in educational resources
Supports quality of current educational structures
Convenience by means of time and space
Introverted students will often speak up when given an opportunity to interact
Disadvantages
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Does not offer an immediate feedback to assess student’s performance
Not acknowledge by the community due to lack of resources
It affects the students negatively in their verbal communication skills
It affects mental health that the student may feel isolate or missed out the socialphysical interactions found in traditional classroom setup
Things to Consider in Distance Learning
➢ Instructor and student’s preparedness
➢ Attitude needed for distance learning
➢ Knowledge in handling network technology
Class Management in Distance Learning
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It is desirable to practice by using mail course materials to students before
the class or to make the materials readily available on a course web site.
Logistics planning is required for examinations
Written examinations must be prepared in advance so they can be mailed to
the remote sites, stored in a safe place and distributed during the class
Proctor must be present at all time at all sites
Problems with technology are inevitable, technicians can usually quickly
handle minor problems
Distance learning via the internet
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Distance higher education goes back at least as far as the first century A.D.,
when St. Paul wrote texts called epistles (or letters of instruction) that were
given to early Christian communities.
In 1840, the first formal distance course was offered by Sir Isaac Pitman in
England. He used the Bible to teach shorthand. By 1850, the first distance
degree was awarded by the University of London.
For most of the 1900s, distance learning was synonymous with the term
“correspondence learning,” because learning used to be delivered primarily
via mailed correspondence lessons. Students would receive their books and
assignments in the mail, then mail completed assignments back to instructors
to be graded.
Today, the Internet has become the primary source for delivery of collegelevel distance learning. The term “correspondence education” is rarely used;
“online education” is the more popular and accurate way to describe much of
today’s distance education.
Classes are delivered via internet by means of a course network
Synchronous classes: people interact in real time electronically
via internet
Asynchronous classes: materials are located on a web page that
can be accessed at any time at the learner’s convenience
Clinical Education in Distance Learning
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Distance education has been used to deliver health and medical training since the
1960s.
Though objectives have ranged from teaching specific topics to premedical students,
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such as health services administration to training nurses in tuberculosis
Management, most of the experience to date in health and medical education at a
distance has been confined to a limited area of health education and training.
Distance education programs are more challenging to implement when the topic of
interest is specific clinical procedures.
These skills can be gained through role-plays followed by practice with clients after
learners’ complete knowledge through distance education or interspersed
throughout training.
Adding video materials has been one option in tackling this limitation. However, this
does not mitigate the need for supervision of technical procedures once students
have received training
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
An LMS is a platform for digital learning. Its key features can be found in the
abbreviation.
L — Learning. With a learning management system, you can create a single
source of online courses and training materials. This will become a unique
source of knowledge in your area, so that you can keep and increase the inhouse expertise of your company.
M — Management. You can manage courses and learners, and even improve
your own efficiency.
S — System. Computer system, to be precise. An LMS automates the most
boring and tedious work, such as grading, processing statistics, analytics, and
preparing reports. Plus, you can train your employees without leaving the
office, managing all the processes right from your work computer.
Benefits of an LMS
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unlimited access to learning content anytime and anywhere
stay on top of required training
increase knowledge engagement
improve work performance
boost knowledge retention